November 19, 2018 | News

November 19, 2018 | News

An insurance lawyer from New Zealand told the Lawfuel blog that third party litigation funding and class action lawsuits can generate "a perfect storm for the insurance market in New Zealand."... Read More

November 16, 2018 | News

November 16, 2018 | News

Lawyers have submitted new information to the Northern District of California judge that oversaw the $85 million Yahoo data breach settlement in what National Law Journal says could be the "first test case" for the court's new class settlement guidance. ... Read More

November 15, 2018 | News

November 15, 2018 | News

A pending decision from the U.S. Supreme Court may "change the way plaintiffs and defendants frame key issues that have fueled an explosion of litigation" under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Law360 reports.... Read More

November 14, 2018 | News

November 14, 2018 | News

Over half of the 539 mergers and acquisitions professionals surveyed by business services provider Merrill Corp. indicate that they have worked on merger deals that have fallen apart because...... Read More

November 19, 2018 | News

November 19, 2018 | News

An insurance lawyer from New Zealand told the Lawfuel blog that third party litigation funding and class action lawsuits can generate "a perfect storm for the insurance market in New Zealand."... Read More

November 16, 2018 | News

November 16, 2018 | News

Lawyers have submitted new information to the Northern District of California judge that oversaw the $85 million Yahoo data breach settlement in what National Law Journal says could be the "first test case" for the court's new class settlement guidance. ... Read More

November 15, 2018 | News

November 15, 2018 | News

A pending decision from the U.S. Supreme Court may "change the way plaintiffs and defendants frame key issues that have fueled an explosion of litigation" under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Law360 reports.... Read More

November 14, 2018 | News

November 14, 2018 | News

Over half of the 539 mergers and acquisitions professionals surveyed by business services provider Merrill Corp. indicate that they have worked on merger deals that have fallen apart because...... Read More

October 08, 2018 | Blogs

Today, my organization, the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, joined 12 other European business associations to petition EU policymakers to make meaningful, commonsense changes to the European Commission's collective action proposal before they create a litigation industry across the Europe. ... Read More

September 17, 2018 | Blogs

Though it may have started as a well-intentioned law from 1991, we now know how plaintiffs' lawyers and professional plaintiffs have twisted the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for financial gain... Read More

September 14, 2018 | Blogs

In January, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memo by then-Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand which prevents DOJ attorneys from turning agency guidelines into binding legal rules in enforcement actions. This was a welcome-and much needed-development for businesses, and a signal the DOJ is committed to promoting the rule of law. ... Read More

September 12, 2018 | Blogs

The Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has the chance to close a loophole in our court system on a favored tactic of plaintiffs' lawyers: forum shopping. This allows plaintiffs' lawyers to "shop" their lawsuits around to different states in search of a friendly court that will award big settlements. Often, the lawsuits have no ties to the state where the case is eventually filed. ... Read More

August 16, 2018 | Blogs

One of the most influential bar associations in the country has voiced a full-throated condemnation of a core element of the litigation funding business model: promising a percentage of anticipated fees in exchange for cash.... Read More

July 23, 2018 | Blogs

On May 3, 2005, the Chung family opened up their dry cleaning store in Washington, D.C. for what should have been a normal day of business. Thirteen years later, the District of Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility recommended one of the Chung's customers from that day be suspended from his profession.... Read More

October 24, 2018 | Press Release

Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) made the following statement about the lawsuit filed today by New York State against ExxonMobil using the Martin Act:... Read More

October 24, 2018 | Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new report released today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) shows that the cost and compensation paid in the U.S. tort system totaled $429 billion-or 2.3 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)-in 2016.... Read More

September 13, 2018 | Press Release

Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), made the following statement about the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) statement of interest in asbestos bankruptcy trust creation:... Read More

June 04, 2018 | Press Release

April 18, 2018 | Press Release

SEATTLE, WA - During an event today the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) will release a new survey finding that, contrary to the claims of many plaintiffs' lawyers, nearly 82 percent of consumers believe that filing lawsuits is not the best way to regulate emerging technologies, such as cars that operate without a human driver. ... Read More

April 11, 2018 | Press Release

Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), issued the following statement today about the European Commission's proposal to rescind and replace the EU's "Injunctions Directive." The proposal would create a new European Union-wide framework for collective redress (class action lawsuits): ... Read More

March 08, 2018 | Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A new report released today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) highlights that asbestos bankruptcy trusts are being depleted, jeopardizing their ability to fully compensate future claimants.... Read More

December 21, 2017 | Press Release

October 24, 2018 | Research

The tort system cost Americans $429 billion in 2016. That's the principal finding from ILR's new research, which arrives at that shocking figure by examining data on liability insurance premiums and estimates of the liability exposure of businesses and individuals that are uninsured or self-insured. The research also indicates that only 57 percent of the $429 billion went to plaintiff compensation. The rest went to lawyers' fees and other expenses.... Read More

October 24, 2018 | Research

Abusive securities class action lawsuits are imposing huge costs on investors without providing any benefit, and the only winners are the lawyers, who take home millions of dollars in fees. This research documents how the plaintiffs' bar has adapted to the litigation reforms of the ‘90s to launch a new wave of securities class actions-one that is already reaching record heights.... Read More

July 11, 2018 | Research

As the European Commission's proposal on collective actions (known as class actions in the United States) makes its way through the European Union's legislative process, it is important to assess EU consumer opinion of the proposal and the safeguards included (and not included) in the legislation. This survey captured the views of 5,097 consumers across five EU Member States.... Read More

June 27, 2018 | Research

This paper contends that in order to encourage companies to create and sustain a culture of consistent compliance, particularly with regard to the federal False Claims Act, the U.S. Department of Justice should formalize a policy of offering credit for companies that implement effective compliance and ethics programs.... Read More

June 04, 2018 | Research

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court was a clear statement that the days of blatant, unchecked plaintiff forum shopping in search of outsized verdicts are at an end. ILR's research explores this paradigm shift and provides practical advice for defendants litigating BMS in the trenches.... Read More

May 31, 2018 | Research

The Spring 2018 ILR Research Review explores a wide range of long-standing and emerging issues in legislation, regulation, and litigation, including artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, state qui tam False Claims Acts, West Virginia legal reforms, and asbestos bankruptcy trusts.... Read More

May 17, 2018 | Research

Among all emerging technologies examined in ILR's Torts of the Future research papers, autonomous vehicles (AVs) may be popping up in headlines more than any other. In order to respond to this trend in public policy and interest, and to provide a valuable tool for legislators, regulators, and businesses seeking to learn more about this topic, ILR has compiled insights from two years of research on emerging liability and regulation issues for autonomous vehicles.... Read More

April 18, 2018 | Research

The second edition of ILR's Torts of the Future research examines evolutions in regulatory and liability trends for emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, wearable devices, and 3D printing. The research also presents a number of updated guiding principles to inform courts, legislators, and policymakers as they seek to address privacy and safety concerns without derailing or delaying innovation.... Read More

March 08, 2018 | Research

The asbestos bankruptcy trusts, created with the goal of sustainably processing and paying valid asbestos personal injury claims, are quickly being depleted. ILR's research finds that of the 35 asbestos trusts operating as of early 2008, 21 are paying an average of 40 percent less today than in 2008, putting future compensation for asbestos victims in doubt. The paper documents the causes of this rapid depletion, including the highly significant impact of attorney contingency fees.... Read More

February 28, 2018 | Research

The 2018 update to "Great Myths of State False Claims Acts" shows that the whistleblowers' bar is continuing to capitalize on state qui tam False Claims Acts (FCAs), harvesting windfall awards from states and the federal government. The paper also points out that the dubious benefits of implementing a state FCA turn into a clear financial net negative when states allow their FCAs to fall out of compliance with federal standards.... Read More

January 10, 2018 | Research

West Virginia has begun shedding its reputation for having one of the worst civil justice systems in the nation. The state's lawsuit climate ranked dead last or second to last in surveys of business executives and attorneys conducted eleven times over the past fifteen years--until 2017. This report explores the beginning of the state's encouraging transformation and highlights areas where it may continue this progress.... Read More